Global Patent Index - EP 1143618 A4

EP 1143618 A4 20021120 - OVERCURRENT CONTROL CIRCUIT OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Title (en)

OVERCURRENT CONTROL CIRCUIT OF POWER SEMICONDUCTOR DEVICE

Title (de)

SCHALTUNG GEGEN ÜBERSTRÖMEN IN EINEM LEISTUNGSHALBLEITER

Title (fr)

CIRCUIT ANTI-SURTENSION POUR SEMI-CONDUCTEUR DE PUISSANCE

Publication

EP 1143618 A4 20021120 (EN)

Application

EP 99943455 A 19990920

Priority

JP 9905158 W 19990920

Abstract (en)

[origin: EP1143618A1] The present invention relates to a technique of limiting an overcurrent of a power semiconductor element (1) such as an IGBT. In a background art overcurrent protection circuit (10P), when an emitter current (i) and a current sense current (is) do not show the same behavior even in a transient state, the current sense current tends to momentarily increase at a turnoff, and in such a case, the energizing capability of a MOSFET (2P) in the overcurrent protection circuit increases and the turnoff speed of an IGBT (1P) becomes much faster than necessary and as a result, a surge voltage disadvantageously increases. Then, in the present invention, a diode (5) having a forward voltage set not lower than a threshold voltage of the MOSFET (2) is so provided as a voltage clamping circuit (4) between a gate electrode (2G) and a source electrode (2S) as to be biased in the forward direction in an overcurrent protection circuit (10) of an IGBT (1). With this provision of the voltage clamping circuit (4), when a voltage value (is.Rs) developed in a sense resistor (3) becomes equal to or higher than the forward voltage of the diode (5), the diode (5) is energized to cramp a gate voltage of the MOSFET (2) to the forward voltage. <IMAGE>

IPC 1-7

H03K 17/08; H01L 29/78

IPC 8 full level

H01L 29/739 (2006.01); H03K 17/082 (2006.01)

CPC (source: EP KR US)

H01L 29/7395 (2013.01 - EP US); H03K 17/08 (2013.01 - KR); H03K 17/0828 (2013.01 - EP US)

Citation (search report)

Designated contracting state (EPC)

AT BE CH CY DE DK ES FI FR GB GR IE IT LI LU MC NL PT SE

DOCDB simple family (publication)

EP 1143618 A1 20011010; EP 1143618 A4 20021120; EP 1143618 B1 20061115; DE 69934028 D1 20061228; DE 69934028 T2 20070621; JP 3590612 B2 20041117; KR 100427923 B1 20040506; KR 20010107980 A 20011207; US 6633473 B1 20031014; WO 0122584 A1 20010329

DOCDB simple family (application)

EP 99943455 A 19990920; DE 69934028 T 19990920; JP 2001525843 A 19990920; JP 9905158 W 19990920; KR 20017006395 A 20010521; US 80795201 A 20010425